Wedding Madness
by Jinxing The World
Summary: Alice and Tarrant finally get married (Rated T for safety). Two Shot followed by wedding night chapter. (Rated-M for mature/ sexual themes)
1. Wedding Madness

Hello Alice x Tarrant fans! Thanks for checking out Wedding Madness. Whether or not you've read my original story, Loving Madness, I'd like to welcome you all here to read and hopefully enjoy. If you haven't read the original story, you may want to just purely so that you can understand a few small things. Either way, thank you so much for the support!

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"Deep breaths luv." Maliumpkin said in a manner that Alice imagined was supposed to be calming. "Just breathe deep and everything will be fine." She was sitting atop the vanity at which Alice was currently sitting.

They were in Alice's room, in the cottage home, in the castle of trees that she had come to know in the past few months of being the Black Queen of Underland. Alice and her curious nature had already found most of the secrets of the castle, the nooks and crannies in the walls, the passageways, the trap doors, the slide from the fourth floor to the first created by a rather old and mischievous tree… she knew it all, and as odd as it was, it was hers. At first the palace made of trees had seemed odd, but the trees made sturdy walls with surprisingly no gaps. From the outside the castle seemed to be made from shining black stone, however the closer one got to it, the better they could see that it was actually made of living growing trees. Sometimes new rooms and new floors would grow out of nowhere to house new guests or courtiers. It was truly magical and amazing, and with a little bit of decoration in the form of tapestries, rugs, furniture, drawings, paintings, and various other items made it as good as home to any and all that chose to take up residence there.

Alice, as queen had let all of her subjects know that they didn't need to take up residence in the castle or its grounds, but they were welcome to if they so wished. Many of her people didn't visit the palace for anything more than highly important or official matters, others visited often. Some decided to live there full time, others part time, and some not at all. Alice didn't mind, because her home was literally part of the castle, with the strange magic of Underland picking up her and Tarrant's windmill cottage home and twisting it in with the trees to become part of their ever changing palace. However their home had never changed. It was the same way it was when Alice arrived… give or take a few more broken tea cups, stains, and other various small changes that effect almost every "well loved" home.

Even in her home and with trying her hardest to take Mali's advice, Alice found herself nervous. She was sitting at the vanity in her bedroom as a lady's maid worked her hair into a style befitting a queen. She couldn't help but feel uneasy. What was she doing? She couldn't help but ask herself questions. She had turned down one proposal, why not this one as well? Did she really mind life on the shelf? With the exception of her Aunt Imogene's insane delusions, she had never truly seen it harm a woman. Did she really want to get married? After all she was one of the two joint "sister" queens of her Wonderland, did she really need a King?

She knew the answer before she even finished asking herself the question. She knew that she didn't need a king, but that as independent as she was, she still needed Tarrant. More than that she wanted him and wanted him to be her king.

Finally taking Mali's advice Alice took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her nervousness. It did however, in a rib cracking way, remind her that she was wearing a corset. She decided that the enormity of the occasion warranted it regardless of her personal feelings on the matter and had donned it beneath the beautiful wedding gown she now wore. It was, as all her clothing was, made with love by Tarrant. He had made her veil also even though the whole thing screamed bad luck. However, Underland wasn't bound to the same silly superstitions and traditions surrounding marriage in England. In fact in Underland there were not the weddings like she had seen in the Upperland. While some things were the same, the ceremony itself was to be very different. On the day of their wedding they would not be joined in the holy matrimony under god that was indicative of English society, but instead they would participate in their own handfasting ceremony. They would be joined together by blood and the magic of Underland.

Though still, some things never change no matter where you are. For example, Alice's gown was white. Actually it was not only white, but was made of silk of a purer white than snow. By a miracle of Tarrant's design and hard work the dress was the loveliest that she had ever worn, even outdoing her ball gown and coronation gown. It was an A-line gown made of pure white silk. It had a Victorian style bustle style skirt with pickups in the material, and sewn into the whole gown were thousands and thousands of tiny white crystals that shone like the sea. It also featured split bell sleeves made of such fine white lace that Alice feared any sudden move would tear it free of its stitching and leave it a delicate rag on the ground. Even in the time between her coronation and her wedding, she had yet to become used to the finer points of being a lady, including the clothing. However Alice trusted in the Hatter more than she had ever trusted anyone before, and with that trust came the knowledge that his craftsmanship was far from substandard. In fact, she had never known another person who could make hats and clothing in quite the same way as he did with a steady hand and a passion that raged on as a fire in his heart.

Alice smiled slightly and said a soft thank you as the maiden who had been working on her hair departed from the room giving Alice leave to stand alone in the room with Maliumpkin. She had become quite good friends with the fierce mouse woman since the events following the original slaying of the Jabberwocky, and now more than ever, she was glad to have her at her side. There were very few female friends that Alice had been able to obtain in her time in Underland, especially considering her intense hatred for all things that are generally considered womanly. However Maliumpkin who wholeheartedly agreed with her distain had been a valuable ally, friend, and advisor during her time here. Alice needed Mali, especially now that Alice found herself with the weight of Underland on her shoulders, and more importantly in this moment when Alice could see her whole future changing in a matter of moments.

"It's okay to be nervous." Mali said kindly from her post upon Alice's vanity table, where she herself was dressed to impress. Alice had never seen Mali in a dress before, however she was wearing one of Tarrant's original pieces as well as a small tri-corner hat also of his creation. However the dress did nothing to hide her fierceness. As head of Alice's royal guard she wore a sword belt even to this occasion and even in this time of peace. Her dress itself did more to lend to her fierceness than anything. It was jet black with a single white star sewn on the chest in the area that one would associate with the heart. It was short sleeved and while being floor length, it was split on the side to allow for movement. It looked like a Greek goddess's gown dyed black, and though Alice had never expected to see Mali dressed in such a way, it befitted her personality almost perfectly. She was like a Greek goddess at times, a Greek mouse goddess of war and justice, and more importantly than that, she was one of Alice's closest friends.

Alice didn't pretend to be stronger than she was, she did not feign bravery in the face of something that truly scared her. She simply spoke the absolute honest truth to one of her closest friends. "I'm not just nervous Mali, I'm afraid." She admitted in total candor while looking towards the vanity and into the eyes of her small companion. "I want this to go perfectly, but I feel like I'm not ready, like I'm not prepared for this at all."

Maliumpkin smiled at Alice understandingly, "You'll never think you're ready Alice. It's not something that you can take time and prepare for. You'll always feel like it's a strange new thing, a commitment that is too strong to keep, but that's why you just need to jump in." She looked wistful as if she was searching for something long past in her mind. "I remember feeling the same way when I married Thackery."

Alice nearly collapsed at the words, and she wouldn't have believed the way her own face looked if she hadn't seen it herself in the mirror. Her mouth was wide open in an "o" of shock and her eyes seemed to be bulging out of her head in surprise. "You and Thackery are married?" She nearly shouted in amazement. How was it possible that she had known and been around them both for so long without knowing?

"Yes, we were wed a long time ago… before he was driven mad by the harsh rule of the Red Queen." She looked pained at the mentioning of it and then added as an afterthought, "She once tried to cut his tail off you know, hatefully nasty woman that she was." She then addressed Alice's look of shock, misreading her reaction as confusion on their relationship's form. Smiling warmly she explained, " I understand your apprehension on an interspecies relationship, however, not all relationships are physical, ours is simply an emotional bond, and we love each other very much. Even though his mind is gone, I believe he's slowly returning to himself… returning to me."

In that moment Alice no longer saw the fierce warrior, but instead saw a woman old beyond her years who was in love with a mad man. Alice could see now why Mali had chosen to keep her love for Thackery a secret, she had enough pain dealing with his insanity, and she couldn't deal with any more pain, especially the pain of someone else rejecting their love when she had already lost so much.

"Do you love Tarrant?" She asked suddenly.

Alice was caught off guard by the sudden question, but her response came quickly, "Yes, of course!"

Mali smiled and hopped down from the vanity. "Then you're ready."

Alice smiled at her friend and no longer felt as nervous as she had been moments before. Instead she felt more sure and stronger than ever before after the trust that Mali had just placed in her. She walked across the room and slid her feet into the awaiting slipper like flats that she would wear through the ceremony. They were simple and comfortable and while they were lovely, they would not be seen under her dress. Feeling the need to reassure Maliumpkin as much as she had just reassured her, Alice spoke. "Tarrant and I will be sure to move your chamber next to Thackery's… if of course this is what you so desire." Alice said trying her hardest to sound like the Queen she now was, especially now just moments before her royal wedding.

Maliumpkin, seeing Alice's change in demeanor shifted hers too towards something a little more befitting the court, rather than a chat over the nerves of a close friend. Mali bowed and in a voice that was respectfully appreciative she spoke to her friend and Queen. "Thank you your majesty. I value your kindness and thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Alice gestured for Mali to rise and smiled softly, "No Mali, Thank you!" She was more than just grateful for her friend's advice and kindness, she was indebted to her because of it, and if moving her room to be closer to the one she loved would start to repay her kindness, well it was the very least she could do. As she watched Mali open her mouth to speak again, the door to Alice's room swung open and a young looking girl bowed, "Your wedding awaits milady."

Alice sucked in a deep breath. This was what she wanted and she knew it, no matter how nervous she was, this was in fact what she wanted. She wanted more than anything in the world, upper or under, to be Tarrant's bride. He wanted to be Mrs. Tarrant Hightopp; she wanted to be Alice Hightopp and to have little Hightopps of her own someday. It was what she wanted and today it was what she would have.

She exited the room with poise and grace trying to pretend that she wasn't still nervous even though she was. Maliumpkin, her maid of honor was just behind her with a tiny bouquet of flowers in her hand to match the larger copy held in Alice's hand. They were the black rose looking licorice smelling flowers called Arcadium that had been part of her coronation mixed in with a few white roses. As she walked Alice sniffed them discreetly feeling comforted by the scent. They had been in Alice's home since the moment after her coronation and they made her smile.

As she walked through the hallway and down through the door of her cottage home, she opened the doorway into her living tree castle, and as she did this one of the trees bent out of the wall in the hallway closest to her. It was bending to her will, and her will was to be outside with Tarrant. More trees followed suit and as they did, they created a spiral staircase before her, now to the lower levels of the castle, but instead to the courtyard below where she and Tarrant would be wed. That's when she saw him standing in the court yard below her. He was dressed simply enough, in a black tux with an orange tie of the same shade as his hair. It made her smile and it was all she could do to not sprint to him with no further pomp and circumstance. But instead she walked slowly and gingerly down the stairs with Maliumpkin and the rest of her bridal party behind her. Alice smiled broadly and felt her heart beat a million miles per hour when he looked up and met her eye.

Tarrant held his breath at the sight of her. He had been nervous all day, but now he knew he was doing the right thing. He had always known he was doing the right thing. He had known from the moment that he met her that she was the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. However in the moment he was surer about marrying Alice than he had been sure about anything else in his life. He was going to marry the love of his life, and he knew that their future would be bright. He let his gaze linger on her as she descended the steps gracefully like the monarch she was. Her eyes were shining; he could see that as plain as day even though she was quite a ways away from him. He could also see the smile playing on her lips, the soft blush on her cheeks, and the way her hair moved in the light breeze despite how it was put up. He felt warm inside, he knew that he was smiling wildly, but didn't stop himself. He was happy, there was no harm in that, and there was no harm in letting it show.

As Alice completely descended the stairs and walked down the aisle between the rows of chairs where many of their friends sat, a guitarist began to play a soft rhythm. Alice recognized it as the bridal march but changed. It was played a little bit faster and more complicated, but the basic rhythm was there, just like it had always been at weddings in the Upperland. Like the way it was at Margaret's wedding and like the way that Aunt Imogene used to hum it during any silent moment or when her delusions were at a fever pitch. Its ties to her previous life made her even happier to begin her new one. She walked small measured steps toward Tarrant knowing that this was her last walk alone. This was the last moment in which she would be a single woman. She wasn't savoring the steps, however, and in actuality she unwittingly increased speed as she got closer and closer to Tarrant. She wanted to run and leap into his arms, ceremonies be damned, run back into their home to be with each other legally or no, but she knew how much this meant to him. She knew that he wanted to have her as a wife, in a way no other man ever would. She knew that he wanted for them to be a proper family, like the one that he had lost so many years ago. So, because of her love for him, and the part of her that wanted more than anything to marry him, she walked down that aisle and to his side knowing that it was exactly where she wanted to be.

"Alice…" Tarrant said nearly speechless, "You look beautiful." Under normal conditions he would have said so much more. He would have called her lovely, gorgeous, elegant, striking, attractive, divine, exquisite, graceful, pretty, outstanding, eye-catching, dazzling, stunning, arresting, and so much more. However, today he was struggling for words. Today he was unable to go on his usual long tangent sentences, but he didn't mind. Nothing mattered today except marrying Alice… his Alice.

She blushed and looked down, under his gaze, she really did feel beautiful. She mouthed thank you, then whispered, "You look handsome." Adding in after that she thought he looked amazing. She finally understood why all brides blushed. It wasn't because they were embarrassed, but instead because they felt lovely and perfect in the eyes of their soon to be husbands, and were so overwhelmed by what was happening that all they could do was blush.

Standing before both of them was a simple alter with the instruments of their ceremony. There was no official priest or officiator for the ceremony, however as Alice looked over at the alter under the tree she saw the apparition of a very familiar grin. She smiled again remembering that Cheshire would be assisting in the ceremony and reading the traditional verse that was read at all Underland weddings. She couldn't think of anyone better to read it than Chess. He was a friend that was always there for her whether she knew that he was there or not. He had always been around when she needed him, and having him at her wedding was just ironically the icing on the cake.

A quick look into the chairs that had been set up to flank the aisle told Alice that not only Chess was here for her and Tarrant. Mali, Thackery, McTwisp, Mirana, and Lily who were part of their wedding party were standing near them. And others like the white king, the dodo, and the Bandersnatch were seated in the crowd around them. Well the Bandersnatch wasn't truly in the seats, he was more off to the side sitting with his Bandersnatch-ess and their twin pups. Bayard, his wife, and now almost full grown pups were seated next to them also. One of the Bandersnatch pups was playing with some of the white rose petals that Lily had sprinkled down the aisle before Alice walked out. Alice turned away from them with a smile as the ceremony began.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the joining of Alice Kingsley and Tarrant Hightopp in holy matrimony. Dearest friends, family, and those that simply came for the free food following the ceremony, your presence is appreciated and cherished at this important event." He suddenly shot a look at some of the old red Queen's supporters sitting together in the crowd, "Well at least most of you anyway."

Half the crowd laughed and smiled while certain others were not so amused. Alice and Tarrant both smiled at Chess's comment and Alice knew that they had chosen the right man… feline… for the job.

"If anyone should object to this union… speak now or forever hold your peace." He continued with his usual drawl. Once a moment had passed with no speech he added, "Good… you don't want the Hatter on your tail." He even flicked his own for emphasis to which he was rewarded with resounding laughs from the audience, the couple itself included.

"Now that we've got that out of the way we can move on to the ceremony." After he said this, he cleared his throat and smiled, rising up above them all. "On this day we celebrate two becoming one."

The crowd replied to this "One in two and two in one."

"Today we join heart and soul, life and love, magic and hope."

"Heart and soul, heart and soul." They replied, the entire group speaking melodically in the traditional, arcane, ceremonial words.

"We watch a life knit together, we watch these two become whole, we hope for their future, and look forward to what will be. We will watch them with care through their triumphs, failures, beginnings, endings, new starts, new lives, new hopes, and everything in-between." As he completed the verse, a single silver dagger floated off the podium and came to rest in the air between them.

Tarrant reached out and took it by the handle, shooting a look to Alice that let her know that they could stop if she wanted. However the look she gave him in return let him know that she would not and could not second guess what they were about to do. She was his and he was hers. There was no way she was stopping now. She reached out and gripped the blade of the dagger lightly. She could feel how sharp it was, and as he took his other hand and wrapped it around the blade, lacing their fingers together as they squeezed and broke skin. She felt the blood trickled before she saw it, and despite a slight sting, there was no real pain.

Once their blood flowed the knife vanished allowing their hands to clasp and their blood to run together. Their blood was mixing in small amounts as their identical cuts allowed blood from each of their hands to flow and mix. It was the beginning of their hand fasting ceremony, and although it wasn't quite the ceremony she was used to, she loved it. She had been told that the cut on her hand would scar, and remain scarred for years. As much as it was odd to think about, having an identical scar between both her and her husband, felt strangely intimate. It made her smile to think about it.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to do the honors." Cheshire said as he pulled a blue strip of cloth out of the mist and tied it around their hands. He then floated up again and told the crowd to come up and tie their cloths around the couple's hands also. It was the second to final act of the ceremony which would bind them together.

After the majority of the crowd had come up and tied ribbons and bits of fabric around their hands, making a big ball of fabric that not only staunched the flow of blood, but also served as a symbol of the layers of their life together and the way they would now be bound together for eternity. "You may now kiss the bride!" Cheshire said with a smile.

Alice and Tarrant did so and wrapped their arms around each other as they kissed. Shortly after they walked down the aisle and into their new life together as their friends threw rice into the air around them.

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Hey, thanks so much for reading. I hope you'll review and tell me your thoughts. Also I'm curious if anyone would like to read a story about their wedding night if I decided to write it? It would probably be a lemon, but I'd like to hear your thoughts... I may cut out lemonyness and just imply it if thats whaat you would all prefer. Either way, I'd love to hear from you!


	2. Wedding Night

Okay so I'm back. Like literally back, like I finally have internet access in my home back! Here's the wedding night chapter some of you were looking for... **WARNING THIS IS A LEMON 18+ ONLY** (However I'm 17 and have been reading stuff like this since 15, so read at your discretion)

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After the wedding, the vows, the reception and everything in between Alice and Tarrant retired to their home. They had walked together through their castle, hand in hand, officially king and queen. All castle staff and courtiers had the strict orders to not bother the couple until they left their room, which in all honesty may take more than just the night. If they were in there for more time than expected no one was to bother them… just simply drop their food off in the antechamber that came before their personal rooms, the windmill. Alice and Tarrant had never given these orders and had no idea that they existed. It was Maliumpkin who had planned ahead for this. As they walked by many young ladies maids chittered to each other almost inaudibly and blushed crimson. They knew what was happening tonight, everyone knew, but even with all the hubbub, Alice and Tarrant could only pay attention to each other.

As soon as they stood outside the door of their private chambers, Tarrant opened up the door and scooped Alice up in one arm. Their hands were still tied together from their hand fasting, and the bindings would not be undone until they reached their bedroom. He carried her over the threshold and knocked the door closed with his foot. He knew it was a cliché, an absolute and total tradition, but as he carried her upstairs and to his bedroom, he knew it was a great one. Of course, as was proper, they had separate bedrooms, even now that they were married. However, he knew that more often than not they would be sharing a bed… regardless of whether it was his or hers. Rules of propriety went out the window with them anyway, and now that they were wed, he saw himself sleeping with her every night. It wouldn't be the first time that they would be sharing a bed; however it would be the first time that they would be participating in such an intimate act. After all, it was their wedding night.

Alice was tangled up into his arms as he carried her upstairs. She breathed in his scent and she could feel the high blush on her cheeks and all through her body. He had a warm, heady, natural smell about him, like a spice cabinet. However that was not why she was blushing. She was blushing because she knew what came next. They were about to seal the deal… they were about to consummate their marriage. Alice knew nothing about sex other than what she had heard from her mother, sister, and other female family members. Women engaged in good marriages either to further their families or create alliances for the country if they were affluent enough in England… rarely because they loved their husband. She had been reminded since the age of thirteen by various female family members that when the time came, she were to simply lay on her back and think of England, follow the orders of her husband, and keep her mouth shut unless ordered to do otherwise. After all at the age of thirteen she was being prepared for her season… a season that she had never wanted, and had never truly participated in. That was how things were done in England. Her mother, of course had never told her this, and Alice imagined that it was not like that for her, just because she knew the way her father was, but Alice had more than a feeling that Margret had experience just that on her wedding night. Her husband, Lowell, had already proven himself to be controlling, cheating, and lying, so Alice could only imagine how he treated her sister in the bedroom. It gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach to think about, and it made her want to go run off and rescue Margret from her husband. But Alice knew she would never leave him, even if he were cruel. After all, she was loyal to Lowell, even though she was hardly married for love. Her parents hadn't been either, however, love had come later for them. To her knowledge, she was the first and only woman in her family, married for love. She silently thanked God that this wasn't England.

Tarrant brought her upstairs, through the doors of his bedroom, and shut it behind him gently. He kept her tucked close into his arms until he brought her to the bed. He could feel how nervous she was. It was radiating from her like heat from a fire that he was unsure of how to extinguish. He himself had never done this before either. He had had past opportunities to do so with various women; however he always abstained, knowing that he could never steal away the innocence of women he had no intention to marry. He was a good man and would never spoil a young woman's purity because they were infatuated with a mad man. However, this was different. He loved Alice with his very heart and soul, and he knew that she loved him equally. They were now wed and he knew that what they felt was not idle infatuation, but instead passionate love. He had no experience in such matters, though he did know what he was basically doing, and he also knew his Alice. Knowing Alice's character, he felt somehow worried in this moment. She looked so small and frightened in his arms, and he knew that more than anything, he wanted to make her feel at ease. "Alice…" He said gently pulling her even closer to him, "Alice, it's okay."

He pulled her up to him and kissed her forehead. "Alice, we don't have to do this." He spoke honestly and soothingly. Wedding night be damned, if she wasn't ready to go this far, neither was he. He loved her so very much, she made him happy, and when he held her in his arms he felt almost like a normal man. He was mad, as his moniker suggested, but with her he was almost sane… though he did still ramble at moments, knowing she found it oddly endearing. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for. If you're not ready, I'm not ready, we have nothing but time on our hands and we could wait as long as you'd like… especially if I find a way to piss off Time again… after all the last time someone managed to make him angry we had nothing but tea time for years...We don't have to do this just because everyone expects us to." He said the last bit softer and more sensitive than the rest, as if he were begging her to understand that it was her decision.

She saw the gleam in his eye as he looked down at her. He had noticed her fears and tried to calm them, as he always did. Though he had misread her feelings of anxiousness, she felt the need to question his last few words, feeling as if there was more meaning behind them. "Don't we?" She questioned, her once muchy voice now quiet as a mouse. "What will people think when they find out we didn't have sex on our wedding night?" Her quiet voice dropped even lower so that it was barely audible, normally she would never act so shy and coy, but it was her true worry that had her on edge.

"No one would know." He said softly, looking in her eyes as his pleaded with her to understand and calm herself. His voice was gentle, level, and calm, he knew just how to treat her when she got like this, something that no other man or woman could ever achieve since the death of her father. "This is our room Alice, no matter how many nosy, sneaky people are in this castle, this place, our home, will always be private. What we do in here is our business and is of no concern to those that make their business to know others."

"But what about…" She pointed to the sheets. While she didn't know much about sex at all, she did understand the fact that most women bled the first time they did it… as she understood it, it could also be quite painful… one true reason for her fears.

He said nothing about the subject but instead began to unwrap their hands. Cloth after cloth, he unbound their joined hands until ultimately they were both free. They would later tie the scraps of fabric together and keep them as a reminder of their wedding, but for now they were put on the nightstand next to the bed. He blushed slightly as he finally responded to her, "It would not be that difficult for me to reopen the cut on my hand enough for a little blood to fall on our sheets." He said this softly, understanding her concern. Though most of the castle's staff was trustworthy and kind, some would gossip about anything… even the lack of blood on their wedding sheets. He missed doing his own laundry, sometimes more than others.

Alice blushed back, "No, no need to do that.. I…" She trailed off as she felt his two, strong, calloused, masculine hands, loosely grip her waist in a way that made little pleasant waves of shock go up and down her spine in waves. "Tarrant, I want to… it's just that despite everything we've gone through I'm…"

"Scared." He finished softly, understanding her feelings completely. He himself was scared of what they were about to do. It was something new for them both, and he knew that you only got one first time… he wanted to make it amazing for her, something he knew other men weren't worried about… however, it was important for him. "Tell me about why you're afraid." He said as he moved his hand from her waist to her hair, trying his best to soothe her and put her fears to rest.

She looked up into his eyes knowing that as silly as it was, he would never laugh at her. "Well…" She said bashfully, "I'm a virgin."

He smiled at her with a look that let her know he did not find her worries at all silly. "As am I." He said as he pulled her on to his chest and on to the bed. "However, I understand your worries being female, and a virgin." He paused here and kissed her forehead. His voice grew very soft, and in one short moment of speaking, he dispelled all her fears. "Alice, I only want to do this with you because I love you. I'll try my very best to not hurt you in any way shape or form, and if I'm hurting you or making you feel uncomfortable, you need only to tell me to stop and I will. I'm not asking you to give yourself to me if you don't want to. Your body is yours alone whether or not you choose to share it with me. I will never force myself upon you, or harm you. You are my wife, we are equals. I adore you Alice with my very heart and soul, so please, you mustn't fear me… I will never harm you, and as your husband, I won't allow anyone else to hurt you either." He kissed her then and ran his fingers through her hair, undoing pins as he went until it fell down her back as was natural for her. He wasn't going to make her do anything. If simply touching her hair, holding her, and kissing her was all she was okay with for tonight, it was all he would do. He respected her and loved her above all else. This was her choice and he was going to let her make it.

Alice listened to him speak, hanging on every single word until he finished speaking. Then, once he had finished, she pulled him into her and kissed him hard and passionately on the mouth. All it took was him telling her that he would love her regardless and be gentle with her for her to regain much of her muchness. She loved him with all of her heart, and she knew that this was what she wanted. She wasn't quite sure of how to start, but something primal inside of her knew exactly what to do. Her uncut hand began to unfasten the buttons on his dress shirt, and moments later she felt his fingers skillfully unlace her wedding gown. He made quick work of the ribbons holding her dress to her body, and before she could even begin to remove his shirt, he had removed the gown.

To Alice's utter surprise and horror, once the gown was removed he began to laugh. His laugh was his usual mad chuckle, the one he used when he found something terribly amusing. Alice cheeks blushed to a high red color, and she made an effort to cover her body with her hands utterly and completely embarrassed. Was there something wrong with her? She had never looked at another woman nude before, so she wasn't entirely sure that her body was right. Of course she had never really thought about it much until now, but never the less she felt mortified.

"You're wearing a corset?" He exclaimed between fits of mad laughter, "My Alice, my dearest most independent Alice in a corset?" In no matter of time at all, he once again sat up and took her into his arms, quickly unlacing the undergarment that Alice had forgotten she was wearing. "By God look at how tight they've laced this! It was a miracle you could even breathe!" He kept laughing until he removed it from her body along with her underpants, where upon she covered herself up with her hands once more. Once he realized what she was doing and what his laughter must have meant for her, Tarrant brought his face close to hers. "Please don't hide yourself from me." He whispered gently. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but please Alice… let me see all of you."

Alice was painfully aware of just how nude she was. Without stockings or underclothes, slips or skirts, gowns or trousers, she was left only with her skin. She blushed hard at the thought of being so exposed, and she could feel it cover her body in heat. She imagined the ruddy red patches on her skin and felt a sudden self-consciousness that she had never known with Tarrant before. She didn't move her hands, and she tried even harder to shield her body from his eyes, crossing her legs and guarding her breasts with her hands. Was she pretty enough? Was her chest large enough? Her bottom toned enough? And her waist… was it slight and fashionable enough? These were all things she would need to be concerned with in London, but feeling worried about them in her wonderland set her stomach off. Why was she so worried? She loved Tarrant and just moments ago she had decided that this was what she wanted to do. So why was she being so nervous?

Understanding her reservations Tarrant set her gently on the bed and stood up. Removing his own shirt and handing it to her in case she wished to put it on, he took off his trousers, but kept on the silken boxers he wore underneath. Mostly nude now he wandered about the room snuffing out all the candles until the only light in the room came from the sliver of moon and starlight that came through a small window in his room. After completing this task, he returned to the bed and to her.

Alice knew why he was doing what he was. After slipping on his too large shirt, she watched him blow out the candles that had been lighting their room. He wanted her to feel comfortable, and they both knew that she would feel far better and more comfortable under the cover of darkness.

"Alice." He said tenderly as he crawled into bed beside her, "We don't have to do this." It was a reminder of an earlier point. She could say no whenever she wanted, and he wouldn't love her any less because of it.

She smiled lightly at this as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. She did want to do it though, she had made herself perfectly clear on that point before, and now that the room was dark, everything felt right once more. Wearing his shirt completely unbuttoned, she rolled over to his place on the bed and put her hands gently on his chest. It felt like the right thing to do, and like a good place to start for what they would do next.

Tarrant felt her warm hands on his chest and smiled, she was so close that he could smell the scent of lavender and vanilla soap that she used when she bathed. He could feel her soft breath against the crook of his neck, and he knew that it was time to begin. Tenderly, he rested his hands on her breasts and cupped them gently. His thumbs began to make arc like paths across the supple skin, and almost immediately he felt her nipples harden under his touch. She made low feminine noises that he had never heard before which encouraged him almost as much as the way she was returning the favor by letting her hands run over his chest. He was glad that she was no longer hiding herself or her intentions. "Beautiful." He said suddenly, and he let his hands stroke her stomach and sides, feeling her womanly figure under his fingers without the hindrance of any fabric except the shirt of his that she wore loosely and unbuttoned.

Alice flushed once more, hearing the honesty in his voice as he spoke made her feel as if she were truly the only woman in the world. She had never thought of herself as beautiful before, and to hear Tarrant say it now, about her uncovered body was almost too good to be true. In his arms and in his hands she did feel beautiful, like his intricate hats and gowns, he made her feel lovely. It was as if without him she was plain as muslin, but with him and through his eyes she was fine as silk. To him she was something precious, and as he had said, she was truly beautiful. "Tarrant?" She asked into the darkness, though she could both see and feel him.

"Yes Mrs. Hightopp?" He replied lovingly, as he loosely ran his fingers up and down the flat expanse of her stomach.

"Will you remove your underclothes, or will you force my hand?" Her question was daring and sexy for just such a reason.

She was acting muchy once more, a fact that he wholeheartedly appreciated as he told her that he supposed she would have to do it herself. He would return her boldness as she gave it. It was always something special between them that they could match the others mood almost perfectly at all times. They had a deeper understanding of each other than even they knew. Something beneath them, the foundation of their friendship and love that made things like this easier once their hearts beat in time with one another's.

Alice smiled as she removed his boxers with more ease than she would have expected. Now that she was no longer feeling shy or wishy-washy about what they were doing, it felt natural. There was something about being naked next to him that made Alice feel right. Without another word, she threw off his shirt and pulled her body atop his. She began to kiss him once again, passionately on the mouth. He returned the kiss with the same fiery desire, and slowly but surely Alice felt something that she had only ever heard about in hushed conversations of young women. She felt the stiff, hard length of his erection press into her thigh. Due to the way that they were laying it was inevitable, however Alice still found herself shocked by it. She of course had never experienced a feeling like this before, and in all honesty she had never even seen a penis before. Not even Tarrant's yet, she hadn't had the bravery to look… until now. She couldn't help but shift so that she could peek at his masculine pride, never seeing one before caught her even more off guard than feeling it. She reached out a finger and gently ran the pad of her digit down his length.

She felt the shivers of pleasure roll through him just as she heard him groan with need. She wasn't aware that she was teasing him, but she could feel her own private place ache with want. She let out another soft noise and within a moment she received a taste of her own medicine. His hand ran down her stomach until he hit the place that was the origin of her ache. Gentle and slow he touched her, careful not to go too fast or too far, saying nothing while silently letting her know that she could call it all off within a moment if she so wished. But she did not.

She was thoroughly enjoying herself and loving the way it felt to be caressed in a formerly untouched place. More little noises escaped her mouth until she was crying out in need for him. Her hips rocked up and as she did so he placed his fingers inside of her. It was exactly what she had wanted, however unexpected as it was, and she found her soft sounds becoming louder and quicker. It felt like heaven, but a peek into Tarrant's eyes showed only the sweetest sin, lust, mixed with love. It didn't scare her however, and she struggled to think until finally uttering out the word "Please" to him.

He heard her say it and knew what she wanted, but he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted her to tell him exactly what she wanted on their wedding night. He pulled his nimble fingers from her depths and found them coated in her feminine moistness. "Say it Alice." He crooned headily into her ear. "Tell me what you want." He wouldn't push her too far on the subject if she seemed too uncomfortable, however he liked the game they were playing. If it were not too distressing for her, he wanted to continue it.

"You know what I want." She said quickly feeling a blush cover her skin once more. How was she supposed to ask him for what she wanted? How on earth could she tell him that she wanted him inside of her?

"You're right. I do know what you want. I just want to hear it come from your lips my love." As she spoke he grabbed hold of her gently and moved himself on top of her, chest to chest so that he could more comfortably take care of her.

Alice was unsure of how to word what she wanted from her husband; however she knew that she didn't want to wait to find the perfect words. Her lips parted and the words tumbled out: "Make love to me?"

Tarrant smiled as she spoke. Her voice was husky but in a way that was still remarkably feminine. He had never heard her talk in that way before and he supposed that it could only be referred to as her bedroom voice. He had heard what he wanted, and relied completely on instinct to do what came next. He had no prior bedroom experience and he hoped that it wasn't showing. After all the mere fact that he had touched her moments ago was a direct resultant of instinct and good luck. He understood the basic mechanics of sex, however he wished that he would have a little more finesse for the actual act in which he was about to perform. In all honesty he was nervous. If he were not focusing solely on Alice at the moment he was sure that he would be off on one of his mad rants due to all the pressure he was feeling. He was afraid of not being good enough for her. He was afraid that he would hurt her. Was he even…big enough for her? Of course men around him had compared sizes of their lower extremities, but he himself had never joined in. He was concerned for the first time in his life that he would physically underperform or injure her. His nervousness must have been evident by his pause in action because after a moment or two Alice reacted by pulling him to her.

In her still rich voice she spoke softly to him. "You know the decision isn't just mine Tarrant. As my husband you have the same rights as I do. You have the right to say no to all of this if it stresses you out too much or makes you uncomfortable, after all we are equals. I won't think less of you if you want to stop right now." She had pulled him into a hug and was rubbing her fingers slowly across his back, making shapes and patterns as she went. "We can just sleep next to each other tonight if this isn't what you want to do."

Her honesty struck a chord with him. Even if she had misinterpreted his worry, her love gave him the ability to carry on. He kissed her forehead softly, asking her softly "Are you ready Mrs. Hightopp?"

Shyly Alice responded that she was, and as soon as the words escaped her lips he pulled out of the hug and once again positioned himself over her. "I promise to be gentle." He said smoothly as he spread her legs with his hands. After opening her legs he propped himself above her with one hand while using the other to prepare himself. He moved slowly but surely and positioned himself so that his tip was touching her entrance sensitively. He paused for a moment and looked into her eyes; they gave him the permission and bravery needed to carry on. After taking one more quick moment to kiss her forehead, Tarrant slid himself into her slowly. He could feel her hymen tear and felt her tense up from the sudden pain. He would have pulled himself out of her immediately after hearing a soft cry of pain escape her lips; however he felt that doing so would simply hurt her more. He kept himself propped just slightly above her with his masculinity inside of her for what felt like an eternity until he felt her body unstiffen. He had given her the time that she had needed in order to adjust to him.

Once she felt comfortable enough to continue, she looked Tarrant in the eye and nodded slightly. She wanted to keep going, her virginity taken by him and his by her, they wanted to continue what they had started. Though he imagined she was still sore, he continued to make love to her. His first stroke inside of her was wary and slow, ensuring that he was not hurting her before he began to pick up speed or change position. He knew that he was fine to continue when his first attempt was met with a moan and the grinding of her hips against his.

He took his second and third thrust with more force and speed until he was up to pace and her motions complimented his in such a way that he began to feel successfully stimulated. He knew that he was getting close as he went, however he knew that she would reach climax before him. Even with his little to no knowledge of sex, ten minutes in he would tell that she was almost there.

Alice was panting and moaning out his name as well as sudden interjections of the words "please", "more", "Oh", and the phrase "Oh God". She had never felt this way before, with the sensation of pleasant tightening in the area below her lower stomach. She had never experienced anything like it before and felt herself holding on to the feeling.

Tarrant felt his wife tense once more as he thrust deep in and out of her. He had a feeling that she was close and found himself speaking to her in a rough dark moaning voice as he continued to love her. "Let it go Alice." He said in her ear as he thrust into her again and again repeating the phrase a few times rhythmically as he went. "Alice you can do it, honey, just let it go. It's okay, you've got it, just like that. Let me take care of you, let me show you something completely new." As he spoke he heard her moans get longer and deeper until eventually she was all but screaming out to him. He himself was feeling close, but he would not experience his orgasm until she had had hers. He continued to slide himself in and out of her until eventually he felt her tense the most that she had so far that night. Just as suddenly as it was there, it was gone and her body was completely relaxed as her muscles seemed to go into spasm and her eyelids fluttered. Her lips formed into an "o" shape and the moan that escaped her mouth was enough to make him finish.

Though in the rush of everything that had come to pass in the day, they hadn't spoken about when exactly they had wanted to have kids. Moments before he came, he pulled himself out of her, for fear of getting her pregnant before she was ready, and instead spilled himself on her stomach. She didn't seem to either notice or care about the fact as her orgasm ended and her eyes closed.

Alice panted as she lay on her back on the bed. She felt the warm liquid hit her stomach as Tarrant had finished himself, but she didn't care. She didn't mind the thought of him ejaculating on her stomach as much as she supposed she might have. She knew that he had only done so to not get her pregnant, and though she did want to have his children, she appreciated his foresight. She did wish to enjoy married life with him for some time before bearing a child, but if their wedding night had resulted in her pregnancy she supposed that she wouldn't have minded at all.

Tarrant lay beside her on the bed panting softly mere moments after achieving climax. He hoped and prayed that his last moment rash decision to pull out of her and cum on her stomach wasn't offensive to Alice. After all he had just simply had their future in mind while doing so. "Sorry." He muttered through his panting as he took his cut hand and joined to with hers. Soon they would have twin scars on their palms, marking them as one another's for all eternity. Of course they also had wedding bands to mark this, but the scar was a much more permanent and personal feeling touch. After all, many couples had rings, but few chose to scar themselves for their union.

"Don't be." Alice responded as she rubbed a finger across the knuckle of his hand. "That was…" She could find no words to describe the feelings she had felt and was feeling both emotionally and physically.

"Amazing." Tarrant said suddenly. "It was simply amazing Alice… and I'm so glad that you were my first."

"And only." Alice reminded with a chuckle as she unclasped her hand from his and used it to move a few pieces of stray hair out of his eyes and off his forehead. His eyes were green, and glowed with a sparkle that he reserved only for her. She blushed in embarrassment and looked him over. He was glowing with what they had just done. A thin sliver of moonlight from their window illuminated him and made the thin layer of sweat on his skin shimmer like crystal. His hair was mussed from the love they had made and his smile way radiant. She was suddenly aware of how toned his muscles were. It was as if she were looking upon him for the first time, but with this he still was familiar to her in the way that he had always been. As his nude form rose up from the bed, Alice almost moved to do the same, until he raised a hand to motion her to stop and headed towards the bathroom that adjoined his bedroom.

"I'm going to get something to clean you up." He said gently as he walked across the floor that was illuminated by moon and starlight. She watched him as he walked away and she could see him light candles in the bathroom. He left the door open to keep her feeling safe and comforted while he was grabbing something to clean her up from a circumstance he saw as regrettable. In all honesty Alice didn't mind and felt calm, relaxed, and free in a way that she had never been before. She did miss her virginity, and felt as though she needed to mourn it for a moment. After all it had been a part of her since birth, so its passing was somewhat sad to her. However the feelings of love, joy, and passion that she had received from its loss more than made it a fair trade. Even though she was lying alone in a dark room, nude, and now cold she felt that she was beautiful. For one of the first times in her life she knew what it felt like to be loved by another person completely, totally, and faithfully. She no longer had fear and felt completely at home in her own skin, clothed or not.

Alice heard the water run in the bathroom for quite some time, but ignored it, supposing that there was some problem with the heating of the water. However soon she saw Tarrant reemerge from the bathroom with a warm dampened washcloth in his hand and an apologetic look in his eye. "I'm sorry I've made a mess of you." He said gently. "I wish I would have had a bit more finesse on out wedding night."

As he sat next to her and began to clean off her stomach and chest Alice looked deep into his eyes and allowed him to see the deep love and care that resided deep within her heart. "There was nothing wrong with what you did Tarrant." She said understandingly as she reached out a hand to tangle in his messy wavy hair. " And you had more than enough finesse… after all it was both of our first times, and quite frankly you blew my mind." She smiled softly once more and pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek. "I'll never forget tonight so long as I live and breathe."

Tarrant's heart was warmed by her words and as he finished cleaning off her stomach he turned to look at the rapidly drying blood that remained on her thigh and much of the sheets below her. He was surprised and glad that taking her virginity was not as painful for her as he had imagined it. He supposed that she would be sore for quite some time, but said nothing on the subject before returning to the bathroom and washing out the cloth. As he went back into his bedroom, he offered his hand to Alice, again saying nothing.

She didn't question it, but instead took it and allowed him to lift her not only off the bed, but into his arms once more. She was tired and had no clue what was going on, but she didn't question it. Whatever he was doing, she trusted him. After all he was her husband and whatever he was taking her to must be important.

He carried her to the bathroom which was lit entirely by candles on all surfaces. It was very romantic and calming looking. The air smelled of her favorite lavender soap and shampoo, and she quickly noticed that a bath had been drawn. Alice looked Tarrant in the eye with curiosity brimming from her. She was tired but her curiosity, as always, got the better of her. "What's going on?" She asked softly from her place of importance in his arms. The way her head was tucked against his chest she could hear his heartbeat. It was fast, but it seemed to be slowing as they stood there. She liked the feeling of his bare arms and bare chest on her bare skin. It made her feel natural and right, and her love of being in his arms both excited and relaxed her.

"I think we need to clean you up properly." He said gently in his deep brogue. She loved it when he spoke in that way. It gave her gooseflesh, and she supposed that he could tell as much with the entirety of her raised flesh touching his.

"We?" She asked curiously as he strode towards the tub and sat on the edge of it with her in his lap. He had his arms wrapped around her to keep her warm and safe. That with the combination of the warm steam permeating from the tub was enough to make her goose bumps retreat, leaving in its wake only smooth pale flesh. Something that Tarrant seemed to be thoroughly enjoying by his soft gaze on her. His eyes were running over her, appraising her, loving every detail of her body with his eyes.

"Beautiful." He said, getting side tracked and ignoring her question. Alice blushed at his sudden statement of opinion and looked down. She both loved and hated it when he said things like that. She loved it because she felt it when he said it, but she hated it for catching her off guard and forcing her to feel as if she needed to look away from him. She supposed that stemmed from her season in England, where blushing in front of men was generally frowned upon, as was nudity, but she was perfectly fine with the second for the time being.

"Don't look down." He said gently, lifting her up, and setting her down of her feet on the floor. He took her hand and led her a few steps away to a full length mirror so that she could truly see herself. After what they had done she had felt beautiful, but looking in the mirror reinforced it for her. She wasn't the insecure type of woman and had never been too self-conscious before, but if she had been before, she would not be now. She looked in the mirror to find a beautiful bare young woman staring back at her with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth.

Truth be told she had never seen herself naked before and was surprised to find that her breasts were quite large enough and were quite pert looking in the reflection. She also found herself pleasantly surprised to see how beautifully her hips and waist looked together even though she was a little curvier than what was normally seen as fashionable for her time. She saw that her messy hair looked sexy and that her pale skin complimented the rest of her features when normally she felt that her skin tone only served to make her look sickly. She smiled at herself in the mirror. After a moment she found that she had blood on her upper right thigh, a remnant of her lost virginity, and turned to Tarrant quickly.

She supposed that she must have looked quite worried because finally after a night of complete and total sanity he began to rant on like usual. "Oh Alice, that's why I got a bath ready. We really do need to clean you up. I mean we don't have to, but I thought that you would want to. I'm sorry that it hurt you when we had sex, but the blood is all dry now, so we can clean it off, unless you think it would hurt to take a bath. If you think it might hurt you, I could just pick you up in my arms and clean you up with a cloth, but I thought a bath might be nice, it would be nice if the two of us could take one together. I feel like it would be very sweet and intimate for you and I to do it, and I would be able to clean you up gently and try to help you with anything that hurts." He stopped to take a breath then realized how long and quickly he had been talking and decided that it would be better to just stop rather than continue.

Alice smiled at her mad husband mildly and spoke from her heart. "That sounds great Tarrant." The thought made her feel warm inside and she knew that bathing with her husband would just strengthen the bond that they shared, not to mention the fact that it was also the perfect calming way to end their wedding night. She allowed Tarrant to pick her up in his arms and carry her over to the bath tub. He got into the water, holding her in his arms, then gently adjusted both of their bodies until her back was on his chest. The scent of the soap Tarrant had chosen gave Alice great joy. He had remembered somehow that it was her favorite scent and was washing her up with it.

Under any normal circumstance Alice would have argued that she were perfectly capable of washing herself, however the situation she found herself in wasn't exactly normal at all. In fact it seemed quite surreal and sensual to her. Tarrant had wet a cloth down with the water they were surrounded by and had rubbed soap onto the cloth. With it he was washing the inside of Alice's thighs clean from the dried blood that had stained them mere moments before. He was being gentle with her, looking up every now and again to ensure that she was okay before he went back to work.

Eventually Alice was clean, and purely on instinct, she began to wash her hatter. She flipped over in the tub and washed his chest… and everything below that… with the lavender soap. She felt very happy when she saw him smile as she did so. She supposed it was an odd practice even for a married couple to wash one another, but she also supposed it was an oddity that she would like to repeat. It was a simply amazing experience, and as she was once more lifted up by her husband she felt as though she were the only woman in the world. She was important to him regardless of the fact that she was a queen and that he was now through marriage a king. No they were not important due to titles, but instead they were important because they belonged to each other.

After drying off Alice donned the Hatter's shirt once more and he slid on only a pair of silken boxers. It was in this way that they slept the rest of the night in Alice's clean bed and it was in this way that they slept well into the next morning in each other's arms. They slept soundly and comfortably with Alice using Tarrant's chest as a pillow the entirety of the night.

* * *

Thank you for reading and thank you for everyone who stuck with me even through the long unannounced hiatuses, the good the bad, and the ugly. This will be my last story tied to loving madness, but have no fear I've got a new project going :) Thanks again, hope you liked it.

Always Yours, Emily (Jinxing the World)


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